Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-06-24
OLYMPIA. FRIDAY EVENING. June u, 1884,
Gov. Solomon Goes Back Oh Himself.

Gov. Solomon Goes Back Oh Himself.
Gov. Solomon is creating quite a
in California by his recently
sentiments at the Memorial
Day exercises in san Francisco. The
closing words of his address read:
And now my friends and comrades.
when look upon thi, silent city Of heroic
dead. l must proclaim against the erection
OF monuments in honor of treason and
traitors, under the folds of the American
flag When | strew nv flowers upon the
honored resting place of one who died
that his country might live, consider it
sacrlcgous to decorate at the same time
the graves of men who died in an attempt
TO destroy and ruin the country for which
we fought While observance of this da,
Is one of love and peace. and while we
are willing to forgive those who tried to
bring shame, disgrace and ruin upon U.S.
we cannot forget, and we must not let I'M
due seniimentality make US forget, that
there is difference between the men who
died AS patriots and those who died as
traitors"
These views are doubtless the reflex
OF feelings entertained by large pro-
portion of the Grand Army who under
the Incorporate leadership of such
men as Gen. Fairchild seem to have but
one object in perpetuating that organi-
cation, of making it the means for keep
ing alive the rancor and hatred en-
gendered by the war, and thus build
up and maintain on the prestige of vic
tory privileged class of citizens
whose wishes must be obeyed in all
matters appertaining to the manage
ment of the Government. They seem
to think that the arbitrament by the
sword has given them patent to the
country, and the privilege of supervis-
ing the government irrespective of law
Or natural rights by others. 1t was such
dominating sentiment as this that
impelled some of these veterans to an
gerily refuse to leave their whisky
TASKS at home when the Grand En-
campment was held in the prohibition
State of Maine, few years ago, to the
no small scandal OF the organization.
1t was was such Incorporate zeal that
prompted Gen. Fairchild few days
ago to utter his plasphemous enathema
against President Cleveland, and it is
due to just such leadership, that the
question has been gravity discussed
the past few weeks as to whether the
President, as Commander in Chief,
might without insult from the veterans,
be allowed to review the Grand Army
at its next meeting at St. Louis.
This sentiment in the Grand Army
has hitherto been regarded as quite
small, and composed exclusively of the
fanatical element which is found by
observation to constitute a certain
proportion of all large bodies of men.
1t is now believed, however, to be
much larger than has usually been
supposed possible in an organization
composed of the citizen soldiery
brought into the field by patriotic im-
pulse at time when every other con-
sideration Was subordinated by the
common peril. Either this is true, or
passing years have clouded the intel
lects of men who in their prime were
actuated by the soul of honor and
magnanimity in passing judgment up
on matters so intimately affecting the
prosperity of the reunited nation. 1t
is probable that the latter supposition
is true, for We find such time-servers
as Gov. Solomon, whose fingers are al
ways on the pulse of popular senti-
ment to enable them to profit by any
change therein, talking quite different
ly from what they did four years ago,
when party necessity seemed to de-
mand burial of the bloody shirt"
and an endeavor to win by the Napol-
comic tactics of Divide, and conquer"
That gentleman, on Memorial Day in
San Francisco, in 1883, used these pa
triotic words:
owe are here to remember the thous-
md nf nc olocC 4
Sunny South and containingthe hest and
bravest of our patriots. .*x The
memory of the unheralded heroes We are
give expression to our feelings, let us re-
member the grand words Of Abraham
Lincoln, with malice toward none,
with charity to ALL" and bearing in our
minds and in our hearts these words, let
us strew flowers on every grave, no mat
ter whether the occupant wore the gray
or the blue.
When we cover the green little mounds
with the sweet fragrance Of springtime,
and it should happen to drop upon the
tomb of one who fought on the wrong
side, let no one say at this late day, " He
was traitor" but let the flowers cover
up his fault. Let us forget his treason
and only remember that he was an Amer
lean, misguided one, but still an Amer
lean, who was gallant and brave; a good
soldier. who had the courage to shed his
blood for what he thought was right. If
there are any ex-Confederates in this
hall, who sympathize with us in these
services hail them with pleasure and
bid them welcome; and if ever l shall
be in the South when the people decorate
the graves of their fallen ones shall be
with them, and drop my flowers as rev.
erently upon their graves as if they had
worn the blue. We are not any longer
Californians, New Workers., South Caro-
linians or Virginians. We are Americans,
and as such we must forget that we were
ever divided
Contrast those bravely magnanimous
words of our Ex-Governor: LET us
strew flowers on every grave, TO mat
ter whether the occupant wore the
gray or the blue" with that narl owly
selfish sentiment, Il consider it sacri-
legious to decorate at the same time
the graves of men who died in the at
tempt to destroy and ruin the coun-